Sifting and directing device for flexible containers



J. V. PIDGEON Oct. 15, 1935.

SIFTING AND DIRECTING DEVICE FOR FLEXIBLE CONTAINERS Filed May 22, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 F. m N m 1 Get. 15, 1935. I J v PlDGEON 2,017,256

SIFTING AND DIRECTING DEVICE FOR FLEXIBLE CONTAINERS Filed May 22, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Oct. 15, 1935 PATENT OFFICE SIFTING AND DIRECTING DEVICE FOR FLEXIBLE CONTAINERS John Vance Pidgeon,

Minneapolis, Minn., as-

signor to Pillsbury Flour Mills Company, Minneapolis, Minn., a corporation of Minnesota Application May 22, 1933, Serial No. 672,127 2 Claims. (Cl. 209-248) This invention relates to sitting and material directing devices especially adapted for flexible containers, such as sacks andbags which hold powdered, pulverized or granular material. The

invention is particularly well suited for application to sacks and bags usually constructed of paper or cloth containing such materials, as flour, powdered sugar and the like.

It is an object of my invention to provide a simple, efiicient and comparatively inexpensive device which may be readily attached to the open annular end of a flexible container; which may be tightly sealed therewith, and which will efiiciently sift the pulverized or granular material and in addition, dispense the sifted material in the desired direction to prevent scattering and waste of the same.

A further object is the provision of a compact, unitary device of the class described which may be quickly attached in operative position upon a flexible container, which will distend the open end of the container and be secured thereto forming a tight joint therewith and providing a rigid receptacle portion and cover through which the material may be discharged, sifted and directed.

It is a further object to provide a device of the class described, which, when once attached to a sack or other container, may remain thereon until the contents are consumed and which will close the bag substantially air tight when not in use.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be more fully set forth in the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views, and in which:-

Fig. 1 is a side elevation showing an embodiment of my invention applied to a flexible sack;

Fig. 2 is a view in elevation showing an end of my sifting device with one of the clamping elements thereon;

Fig. 3 is a cross section taken substantially on the line 33 of Fig. 1 with the sack removed and the clamping device extended for receiving the annular edge of a flexible container;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view showing the device attached to a sack;

Fig. 5 is a Vertical section taken substantially along the line 5-5 of Fig. 4, and

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of a somewhat difierent form of the invention with the flexible container attached.

Referring to the form illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive of the drawings, my device is shown as applied to the mouth or open end of a conventional type of flexible sack or bag S.

The form of the invention illustrated comprises a substantially rigid elliptical shaped cover I having an elongated rectangular discharge opening 5 la formed therethrough and having a depending skirt or annular flange lb which tapers at its lower end and is provided with an anchoring circumferential groove 10 at its medial portion. The upper edge 1d of the cover proper may pro- 10 ject slightly beyond the skirt lb to form a narrow abutment flange. The depending skirt lb is adapted to telescope within the open annular edge of a flexible container or bag, distending the bag and holding the same in open annular shape. 15

Suitable clamping means are provided for securing the upper end of the bag to the skirt lb and as shown said clamping means comprise an annularly arranged clamping strip 8 constructed of resilient material and as shown, supported 20.

from opposite sides of the cover I by means of a pair of depending resilient fingers 9 which have turned upper attachment ends secured to the top of cover 1 and which have their lower ends fixed to medial portions of the element 8. Resilient 2-5 fingers 9 normally bow outwardly to some extent thereby urging the connected portions of clamping element 8 away from the depending skirt lb. Element 8 in reality comprises two sections the I ends of which overlap at the respective ends of cover 1, the overlapping ends in each instance being connected by a clamping toggle or buckle. As shown, each of the clamping toggles comprises a short lever It] for convenience of pivotal attachment, constructed of channel shape and to the medial portion of which a link II is pivoted, the opposite end of the link being connected with a suitable U-shaped bracket l2 afiixed to the adjacent end of the overlapping section. Lever H5 is pivoted at its inner end to the first mentioned clamping strip section and for convenience the free end of the adjacent or second mentioned section may slide within the attachment clip l3 to which the lever I0 is pivoted. When the two clamping toggles are released, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, the clamping element 8 is spaced a short distance from the skirt lb throughout the entire periphery of said skirt and is aligned with the circumferential anchoring groove 'lc located at the medial portion of the depending skirt.

The discharge opening la is formed preferably toward one end of cover 1 and is surrounded by a somewhat tapered trough-shaped spout [4 which projects upwardly from and is inclined relatively to the top of cover 1. This spout maybe inte- 55 sieve [5 when the shaft is rotated and shaft liia terminates in a crank arm l6b to which is pivotally attached a suitable handle ll.

At the outer end of spout M a closure I8 is releasably mounted and as shown, said closure is hinged to one side of the spout and has a turned sealing flange I So which is adapted to snugly engage the open end of the spout forming substantially an air tight seal therewith.

Operation My improved device is quickly attached to a bag or other flexible container having an open end by releasing the clamping toggles I0 and thereby causing the clamping element or strip 8 to open, spacing itself a short distancefrom the skirt lb, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. The annular open edge of the bag is then inserted between the clamping element 8 and the skirt 1b, the tapered lower end of the skirt facilitating the telescoping of the bag. The rigid skirt, of course, distends the bag, holding the same in open, substantially elliptical position. If the cross section dimension of the bag is somewhat larger than the skirt 1b, a longitudinal fold may be taken in the upper end of the bag to cause the edge thereof to snugly engage the depending skirt. Levers I 0 of the two clamping toggles may then be buckled to cooperatively draw the clamping element 8 tightly about the bag and rigid depending skirt of the cover.

To dispense and sift the material the container is grasped with one hand and partially inverted causing the material to move by gravity against the cover I. It will be noted at this time the rigid cover with its depending skirt forms a reinforcing receptacle which is connected by a sealed joint with the open edge of the sack or flexible container preventing rupture of the container. The closure [8 is swung to open position and the agitator I6 is rotated by manipulating the crank handle I! whereupon the granular or pulverized material will be sifted through the strainer I5 and directed by spout l4 as desired without scattering.

In use it will be understood that a portion of the path or orbit of the agitator I6 is projected below the upper end of the cover and bag and into the contents of the container when the con tainer is inverted. This prevents the material from packing in the spout and assures proper agitation of the contents as well as the uniform feeding of the material into the spout.

It will be apparent that in providing a receptacle-like cover the bag is reinforced and distended at its open end and a secure and substantially air tight joint is formed between the skirt and the bag. My device may be left attached upon the bag until the contents are consumed and the closure l8 prevents dust and air from entering.

The form of the invention illustrated in Fig. 6 is identical with the form previously described with the exception of the means for securing the open end of the bag or flexible container to the depending skirt lib. In the form shown in Fig. 6 clamping means are dispensed with and in lieu thereof a series of upwardly extending prongs P are provided in the central portion of skirt 7b circumferentially thereabout. Prongs P may, if desired, have barbed ends to prevent accidental disconnection of the sack. In securing the sack to the skirt the open upper end is slipped or telescoped over the skirt as far as possible and the prongs are then engaged with the flexible material and hold the sack in operative position. The upward inclination of the prongs enables the sack to be easily slipped upon the skirt and provide an efficient means for retaining the sack when once secured.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details, arrangement and proportions of the parts without departing from the scope of my invention, which, generally stated, consists in a device capable of carrying out the objects above set forth and in the novel parts and combinations of parts disclosed and defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:-

1. In combination with a container having a flexible open upper end, a sifting device including a depending skirt adapted to fit within the open end of said container, a flexible resilient annular clamping band mounted for disposition in spaced relation to the periphery of said skirt, a, pair of take-up means for clamping said hand against said skirt respectively inserted in diametrically opposite portions of said band, a directing spout connected with said depending skirt and having communication with the interior of said container through a suitable opening, a sieve traversing said opening and an agitator mounted for cooperation with said sieve.

2. In combination with a container having a flexible open upper end, a sifting device including a depending skirt adapted to fit within the open end of said container, a flexible resilient clamping band disposed in spaced relation to the periphery of said skirt to encircle the same, said clamping band comprising a substantially annular clamping element provided with take-up means for clamping the same against said skirt, at least one resilient band-supporting finger attached at one end to said skirt and at the other end to said band to yieldingly support the same in said spaced relation, a directing spout connected with said skirt and having communication with the interior of said container through a suitable opening, a sieve traversing said opening and an agitator mounted for cooperation with said sieve.

JOHN VANCE PIDGEON. 

